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Upgrades to the Tuakau Centennial Pool will delay its reopening this December.
A council spokesperson said the current works include improvements to the entranceway frontage, an upgraded entry layout and increased office footprint, and replacement of fencing and removal of barbed wire.
The pool is scheduled to reopen on Friday, December 19, rather than in early December.
Tuakau Community Board member and outgoing chair Grace Tema-Liapaneke said the pool was the go-to place for a lot of the town’s less fortunate families that can’t afford to take their children out and about to other pools.
The community board worked with pool operator Belgravia Leisure to subsidise the pool fees, with children, students, and seniors charged $1, adults $2, and those adults supervising a child aged 3 or under, free of charge.
Some Tuakau residents have expressed frustration over the delayed reopening, many asking why the upgrades were not carried out during the colder months.
When the Franklin Times inquired about the work not being completed during the off-season, the council stated that fencing replacement, removal of barbed wire, and laying external concrete were all completed during the off-season. However, further work on the main office building required consent.
“Once this process was completed, the council proceeded with the remaining works to ensure delivery of the full entranceway project, even though this caused a slight delay to the opening date.”
Further improvements to the entranceway include a wider, more accessible pathway and improved customer flow, aimed at addressing previous congestion during peak periods. The council said there will be enhanced accessibility for users, with the concrete now levelled to a single height to make movement easier.
The expected cost of the work is $175,000.
“Overall, these works improve functionality for customers, enhance service and transaction efficiency, and significantly upgrade the visual appearance of the facility,” the council spokesperson said.
The Waikato District Council’s seasonal pools open on the first weekend of December each year. Last year, the pool opened on Saturday, December 7. Between December 7 and December 18, there were 842 visitors, representing the same 13-day period as the expected delay this season.
